Refrigerator with sealing apparatus for drawer

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a drawer, a sealing member disposed between a case and a front part to seal the inside of the case, a manipulation member disposed on the drawer, and a sealing apparatus for closely attaching the front part to the case and maintaining the front part closely attached to the case by the manipulation of the manipulation member. The sealing apparatus includes a hook part disposed on the case and a latch member connected to the manipulation member on the front part to move according to the manipulation of the manipulation member, thereby being inserted into the hook part, the latch member being configured so that the front part moves toward the case and is closely attached to a front surface of the case according to a contact state with the hook part.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body having a cooling chamber; 
 a case disposed within the cooling chamber, the case having an opened front side; 
 a drawer comprising:
 an accommodation part withdrawably accommodated in the case; and 
 a front part forming a front surface of the accommodation part and configured to open or close the opened front side of the case; 
 
 a sealing member interposed between the case and the front part; 
 a manipulation member rotatably disposed on the drawer; 
 a sealing apparatus operably coupled to the manipulation member, the sealing apparatus comprising:
 a latch member connected to the manipulation member to move in a width direction of the front part by the rotation of the manipulation member; and 
 a latch receiving member protruding from the front surface of the case and having a hole through which one end of the latch member passes by moving in the width direction of the front part, 
 wherein when the end of the latch member passes through the hole of the latch receiving member, the front part is configured to move in a depth direction of the case to be strongly attached to the front surface of the case; and 
 
 a power transmission member, including:
 a protrusion protruding from a rear surface of the manipulation member at a position a predetermined distance away from a rotation shaft of the manipulation member, the protrusion configured to be parallel to the rotation shaft of the manipulation member; and 
 a slot formed in the other end of the latch member to receive the protrusion, and formed in a curved shape to guide the movement of the protrusion when the manipulation member rotates. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the latch receiving member is a hook part. 
     
     
       3. The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the hook part protrudes from the front surface of the case, and
 an insertion hole in which the hook part is inserted is defined in the front part. 
 
     
     
       4. The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein an end of the latch member comprises:
 a guide section having a thickness gradually increasing from a hook part-side end thereof toward the manipulation member; and 
 a maintenance section having a flat surface on an end of the guide section toward the manipulation member. 
 
     
     
       5. The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein an outer end of the latch member contacting the hook part has an inclination gradually increasing inward. 
     
     
       6. The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein a rolling contact member rolling-contacting the latch member is disposed on the hook part. 
     
     
       7. The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the latch member comprises:
 a body formed of a metal material, the body being connected to the manipulation member; and 
 a fixed part formed of a synthetic resin material, the fixed part being disposed on an end of the body and insertable into the hook part. 
 
     
     
       8. The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the drawer comprises the front part defining a front surface thereof and a space part covered by the front part,
 the manipulation member is exposed through the front part, and 
 the latch member is disposed inside the space part. 
 
     
     
       9. The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the latch member is inserted into the hook part in a state where the hook part is inserted into the space part. 
     
     
       10. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the manipulation member is rotatably disposed on the drawer. 
     
     
       11. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when the manipulation rotates to seal the case by attaching the rear surface of the front part to the front surface of the case, the protrusion moves from one end of the slot to the other end of the slot, 
 and wherein a distance from the rotation shaft of the manipulation member to the other end of the slot is shorter than a distance from the rotation shaft of the manipulation member to the one end of the slot. 
 
     
     
       12. The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein the sealing apparatus is disposed on two opposing sides of the drawer, and
 the manipulation member includes two protrusions, wherein the protrusions are disposed to face each other with respect to the rotation shaft of the manipulation member. 
 
     
     
       13. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the latch member moves in a direction that crosses a withdrawal direction of the drawer. 
     
     
       14. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a guide guiding a movement of the latch member is further disposed on the drawer. 
     
     
       15. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a rotation pressing unit to rotatably press the manipulation member toward a sealing or releasing position when the manipulation member rotates. 
     
     
       16. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pump connected by a connection tube disposed on the case, and air within the case is forcibly exhausted by an operation of the pump. 
     
     
       17. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a communication part defined in the drawer, wherein the communication part is selectively opened or closed by the latch member to selectively exhaust air within the case when the manipulation member is manipulated.